Golf balls generally include a soft core covered by a hard shell, such as a synthetic resin outer shell. The soft core typically includes one or more layers of rubber or other resilient material and often includes an inner wound ball. The soft core experiences far less wear and tear during use than the outer shell and can be reused multiple times if recycled to replace the outer shell without degrading the core through the recycling process.
In contrast, the outer shell suffers the majority of the wear and tear to the golf ball during use, such as receiving blows that can form cuts, scrapes, nicks and abrasions in the outer shell and cause overall thinning of the shell and features on it, such as dimples. Although the useful life of the ball is governed by many factors, it is significantly governed by the durability of its outer shell and the shell's ability to withstand the various impacts that are typically encountered by the ball during use without the cover ripping, tearing or otherwise failing.
In addition, the useful life of the ball is significantly affected by the outer shell's ability to retain its shape and its advantageous features during use. Advantageous features such as the ball's surface texture and its dimple configuration provide many of the aerodynamic properties for the ball, without which the ball is generally deemed no longer useful. As the outer shell wears or otherwise degrades, aerodynamic performance of the ball typically degrades as well due to changes in the outer shell features, which render the ball no longer useful for its intended purpose.
Recycling or refurbishing golf balls after their useful life by replacing the outer cover instead of disposing of the balls can avoid unnecessary industrial waste and reduce golfing expenses for the user. In order to effectively recycle a conventional two-part golf ball, the core of the used golf ball can be refurbished by replacing the worn cover with a new cover. In order to do this, the worn outer shell needs to be peeled or otherwise separated from the softer core in an efficient, cost-effective manner that avoids damaging the core.
Conventional methods and equipment for peeling a golf ball shell from its core for recycling or refurbishing purposes often damage or impair the core and are inefficient, time-consuming and/or relatively expensive. Thus, used golf balls are typically disposed of rather than recycled or refurbished. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide efficient and relatively inexpensive system and method for refurbishing or recycling a golf ball including removing the cover from the golf ball.